Big Sky, MT

Bighorn Ridge

3.885(based on 12 reviews)
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1 3
LarsAnders0n
Experience: 16.6 years 4 played 4 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Simply Incredible 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 25, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Beautiful views
- Varied throws
- Lots of distance, but also fun short holes
- Fun even as a hike for non players
- Holes 16 thru 18 are some of the most fun holes I've ever played. Hole 18 is 700 somthing feet downhill out of the mountains, just so fun to play.

Cons:

- Possibility of losing a disc high for beginners, but really not too bad

Other Thoughts:

I loved this course. That's it. Beautiful, well thought out course in a beautiful location.
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7 0
Merlin0817
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Mountain Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 4, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Chainstar Baskets
Beautiful area
Reworked tee pads and greens give it a cleaner feel and more stable footing
Technical course with lots of elevation and a wide variety of shots needed
Pro tee pads on holes 2,3,4,6,12,16, and 18 for longer, more difficult looks.
Well thought out design and frequent course maintenance


Cons:

Challenging for beginners
Thick rough
Steep paths and descents could be dangerous
Some tee pads are not level
Can lose discs if not carefully watched

Other Thoughts:

This is the type of course where you can easily record a triple bogey, lose discs, grumble about how steep it is but then on the next shot, park your drive, and make it all worthwhile. There is a wide variety of shots needed to record a good score and you have to know the elevation game.
Overall this course challenged and showed a lot of defects in my game but is a lot of fun for that reason. It rewards the good shots and punishes the bad. It is a course I play at least once a week now, and I would highly recommend it to anyone in the area.
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8 0
brentjacobs
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 22.6 years 641 played 59 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Mountain Course right in town 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 20, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- 18 Portable Chainstar baskets, mostly leveled, that move between 2-3 pin locations on each hole. Some of the moves really maximize use of the land creating completely different looks and challenges.
- Rubber fly pads on every tee.
- Elevation! Great use of the hills and valleys. It makes the course a solid hike but very worth it. Also creates a good amount of risk reward, here's looking at you #16.
- Good variation in hole length. With the Long tees in play the course offers a wide range of hole distances and a good number of varying challenges off the tees. Definitely a fair and fun play for many levels of player with the different tee options.
- Excellent use of the trees on the property. Solid overall balance with some holes that are very open and other fairly tight. No poke and pray garbage.
- Free to play. Feel free to drop some cash in the donation box by the practice basket though!
- Awesome views of the surrounding mountain ranges and of Lone Peak, home to the Big Sky Resort.

Cons:

- The old Chainstars are about due to be replaced. Some welds have rusted out making them impossible to move to other pin positions.
- The fly pads are nice but the ground was never leveled underneath so many are fairly lumpy.
- All signage is out of date and some is missing. Navigation isn't terrible but could be confusing at a few points.
- Couple of tees are a bit too close to the previous target and/or fairway. Holes 3, 4, and 8 come to mind.
- Hole 17 is just kinda meh. Neat little 120' super straight downhill shot that has a ton of random rocks in the landing zone. Even the perfect shot may be punished with a multi hundred foot roll down the hill past the target.
- Not officially seasonal as the baskets stay in all year but mostly unplayable during the winter months.
- Some years the local DG group has arranged for mowing but its rare. Grasses can get really tall in mid summer and cause issues finding discs.
- Handfull of steep hill to walk and down. Gotta be both in shape and take care with your steps.

Other Thoughts:

A wonderful public course funded by the city in their awesome Community Park. The park has a lot of other user areas(completely seperate from the course) for your friends and family from a skate park and rock climbing walls to basic playground equipment. Mountain Golf right in town within decent walking distance and short driving distance of everything one would need. Excellent combination of elevation and trees, this course has been a favorite of mine since it opened in 2009. Definitely could use some updates and polishing but a fun and challenging(if you so choose) spin. Bring solid footwear and lots of energy. Its not a long spin but its a workout.
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2 5
WhaqP
Experience: 18.8 years 37 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Dgcr won't let me delete a review drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 23, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

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Cons:

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Other Thoughts:

Dgcr won't let me delete a review
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7 0
markmcc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.9 years 278 played 254 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun Mountain Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 22, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

While short, this course offers a great variety of uphill, sidehill, and downhill holes, with a nice mix of tight and open terrain.

Teepads are natural and for the most part in decent shape. Several are not exactly level and a bit lumpy, but the distances on these holes works well for "stand and throw" drives.

Small but informative tee signs that include hole number, distance, and par information along with a decent little map of the hole. There is also a "next tee" arrow that is useful.

Baskets were in fine shape and caught well. It looks like they have two - three possible pin positions for most holes. All baskets had wind flags on top which helps with spotting them.

Some of the holes are crazy short, but those tend to be steeply uphill or downhill. Hole 16 is about 180 long, and 40' up. Hole 17 is listed at 130' but is a big drop (maybe 40') to the basket which is on the downhill slope. Huge rollaway potential on that hole. I see where several folks have aced it. I wonder how far your disc goes if you miss your ace run??

Hole 18 is a classic "top of the world" drive from the top of the hill to the flat ground below. Easily a 100' + drop. The drive is wide open and you'll want to throw your entire bag. The area below is pretty clear so finding your disc(s) is surprisingly easy.

Overall just a good, fun course.

Cons:

Navigation can be a little tricky in spots (holes 6, 7, 10 come to mind) as this area is criss-crossed with trails. A group of friendly locals helped to point me in the right direction in spots.

A few of the tee pads were uneven enough that my footing was uncomfortable. In most cases moving back a foot or two from the front edge found a more even area.

Places on the course are quite steep and rocky, so sturdy shoes are a good idea. The climb down from the 18th tee is rocky and loose.

Other Thoughts:

What a great community course. Modest hole lengths make everything reachable, and the amount of trees is enough to add challenge without being too difficult or punishing.
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3 2
Juppie
Experience: 17.7 years 38 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Summer fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 25, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

a good mix between trees and open shots. some long straights and some huge elevation changes. One hole dropped maybe 150+ feet down...it was a super fun throw.

Cons:

easy to loose discs there is lots of brush and tall grass.
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3 0
Masonian
Experience: 7 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Confidence booster 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 23, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Very hilly and creative course on the foot of a steep mountain side with multiple snow-capped peaks in the distance. The first time I played alone but had no problem finding all tees and baskets. This course is a confidence booster since it is short and I ended up with several birdies and near aces. Excellent info on the tees. Most of the holes are short with tight fairways, if that is what you like. Very friendly locals and there was a moose on the course (although that could have been a huge negative if the moose was in a bad mood). Free course. Hard to lose a disc.

Cons:

An intermediate player like me should not be able to finish under par his first time playing a course. The course has many short holes so not many opportunities to work on your power drive.

Other Thoughts:

Put up a sign warning about the local moose and what a tourist should do in case of a close encounter. Lock the donation box so I can make a donation!
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8 0
Skitrees
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Mountain High 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 29, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a great mountain course with lots of variety for both backhand and forehand players and is well suited for all abilities. This course went through a serious facelift last summer that has dramatically improved playability while at the same time reducing the chances of lost discs which was a problem in the past. All the pins have 3 placements with holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, and 16 having 4 different pin placements (not near enough of this out there!!) This really adds a ton of variety! The pins usually get changed every week so pay attention if play this course more then once. Also, on holes 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11 and 18 there are two tee pads. The alternate tee pads don't have signs but are absolutly worth the time to find them and there's a trail leading up to them. Hole #1 is an easy opener out in the open and plays slightly uphill. Hole #2 plays flat and can be a long bomb when the pin is at the long position or an easy shot when it's short. Hole #2 is also out in the open. The alt tee pad is just up from the big tree and can be seen from the lower tee pad. Hole #3 is a great uphill shot from the lower tee pad. The alt tee is right behind it and up the hill a bit and makes for a flatter but longer shot. If your disc rolls back down the hill after a missed putt just smile. Hole #4 is a great hole shooting over a big gully. The lower tee pad is pretty short and could use some work but the upper one, which is directly behind it and up the hill is in great condition. There are two big trees to drive between and an errant shot will make things interesting. When the pin is in the long position this is a fantastic hole. Hole #5 is another great uphill shot that seems so close but yet so far. It looks like it should be an easy ace. Hole #6 is where the things get interesting. In any pin position it's a tight downhill shot through some trees with ace potential if you can throw a dart. The alt tee is just up the hill towards the power poles and is a great blind shot! Hole #7 is a downhill shot over a gully with power lines overhead and an errant drive here to the left or right will spice things up. When the pin is in the long position this is one of the best holes on the course. Hole #8 plays through a tight alley that demands a straight drive. The alt tee is just up the hill and makes this hole feel completely different as it plays downhill instead of flat. Hole #9 is a cool downhill shot with 2 of the 3 pins being blind. To get to hole #10 head west or parallel to the road, bit of a walk but not too far and you get to check out Lone Peak on the way. Hole #10 plays slightly uphill, more then you think and when the pin is in the long position think strategically as an errant drive will cost you. Hole #11 plays uphill and the four pin positions really change it up. The alt tee is just down the hill to the left and when the pin is long think shot placement as you've got to work around some trees. Hole #12 plays uphill and is short with ace potential but very technical in any of the three pin positions. Hole #13 plays downhill through a tight alley and is short and has ace written all over it. One of the pin positions is blind and to the left. Hole #14 plays uphill, open on the left and wooded on the right with one big tree to avoid in the middle. Hit it and well put that smile back on. The long pin position makes this a great hole with a long second shot. Hole #15 plays uphill and is very technical through a ton of trees in any pin position but the long one is very tough but fun and hey, ya gotta walk up hill to get to #16 anyway. Hole #16 plays uphill, has got ace written all over it and is where your game can go south real quick! It's a short shot but go to the left or right you're in big trouble as your disc can roll a very long ways making your second shot much longer and harder then your first. An errant putt can cause big problems too. Hole #17 plays down a very steep hill and can make you real happy or make you cry all the way back home. It's super short and a very light touch is all you need. Mess this one up or if your disc rolls on you and you'll have to go find your disc at the bottom of a very big hill. A putter instead of a driver seems to work real well for this one. An errant putt here will make you cry. Go for an ace and you might be buying a new disc. Hole #18 plays down hill and is a long bomb from the lower tee pad and an even longer one from the alt tee pad. You pass the alt tee pad on the way to the lower one. This hole drops maybe a hundred or so feet and it's easier to reach the road and go in the river then you'd think. Super fun course with fantastic views.

Cons:

There really aren't too many cons about this course. Some of the tee pads could use some work to level them out a bit but that's because they get used. The woodchips on the tee pads can make the run up for the drive a bit tricky but do come in handy after a rain since the tee pads are dirt. Some of the tee pads are a little short too. There's also a lack of benches to sit on so if you want to sit bring a chair. There's also no trash cans to put your trash in which is a huge bummer so you have to pack out what you pack in. So don't leave beer cans and bottles around and if you smoke pack your cig butts out. The signs for each hole don't do much good except to give a general idea of what it's like. They don't have all the pin placements and the distances marked on them are wrong. New signs with the correct distance for each pin would be nice and signs for the alt tee pads would be handy.

Other Thoughts:

This is a great course that is short but plays long due to all the ups and downs and is very well maintained. There's a great mix of open shots along with tight wooded alleys, straight shots and dog legs. There's some good ace potential with some good birdie shots along with a ton of risk/reward shots. The views are spectacular too!! A definate asset to the area.
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4 1
[email protected]
Experience: 23.8 years 30 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice Mountain Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 4, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is situated in an ideal location, and has excellent views. It has 6 holes that I loved, 6 holes that were predictable but good, and 6 holes that lacked much imagination. The signage is not an issue now, and they are rather good.

Cons:

Rather short, my first time playing it, I missed two "gimmie's" and shot a -2.

Other Thoughts:

A nice Mtn. course in an awesome location. Friendly locals, good food and grog nearby.
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14 0
Danger
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.7 years 105 played 68 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great, popular course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 3, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Lots and lots of variety
-Awesome downhill shots
-Spread out design
-Rotating pins (not enough of this out here!!!)
-Informative tee signs, however the pins rotate and there is only one distance listed.
-While mountainous, all holes were carefully planned with obvious lines, and many with some risk/reward lines as well.
-Beautiful Montana mountain terrain
-Great crowd playing there, always seems to be somewhere around
-Practice basket
-Unique, short, death trap holes
-Baskets in great condition, catch discs well

Cons:

-Natural Tees
-Not many places to sit
-Some heavy underbrush, but that's to be expected on a mountain course

Other Thoughts:

This is a popular course in the Big Sky community on the outskirts of a town park. Terrain varies wildly from flat open meadows to heavily wooded elevation shots. Flat, up, down, gradual and extreme, this course really has it all.

In the Big Sky area, there are 3 courses and this one appears to be the most popular due to its price (free), secluded location, and the fact that the other 2 are crap. Park in the dirt lot and start at the bike rack. The whole course has signs now, so you can find your way around. First time may be a little tricky, but just follow the trails.

There are a ton of memorable shots on this course.
The beginning of the course provides some holes that are typical of most mountain courses, and definitely on the good side. An alternate tee on the otherwise easy hole number 3 (tee is up the hill, behind the regular tee pad) makes the hole a ton more interesting.

Hole 7 is where the 'wow' holes begin to appear, this one being a steep downhill shot through a relatively narrow tunnel with power lines lining the top. This requires a very straight downhill shot with less power than you would think you need in order to not have your disc veer violently in one direction or the other.

Hole length varies from very short (but heavily wooded) to quite long. While some are posted as par 4, locals play the course entirely par 3, which is definitely possible on all the holes.

Hole 9 is a great risk/reward downhill shot to a sometimes blind basket. The walk after hole 9 is quite long, but a sign points you in the right direction. 10 through 15 work their way up and down, but more-so up, back to the ridge that 7 shot off of. Most of the back 9 are relatively short, well protected birdie attempts.

Holes 16, 17, and 18 are all pretty unique disc golf experiences. 16 is a short uphill shot to the top of a hill with VERY steep drop offs in all directions. Precise mid or putter throwing is required in order to prevent turning this otherwise 170ish foot hole into a 500 foot mega uphill.

17 shoots down a 40 degree hill to a basket that sits about a third of the way down. A light touch is all you need to stay safe here. A bad throw will send your disc flying around the hill and to the bottom (easily 500 feet plus), out of sight, and nearly impossible to find. A missed putt of mine jumped on its side and rolled into oblivion. A half hour search warranted nothing.

Finally, hole 18 is a truly classic downhill throw with about 100 feet of elevation loss to a pin in the middle of a meadow. On your way to the tee, you will pass an alternate tee higher up the mountain with less obvious lines than the official one, which astronomically increases the challenge.

An unofficial 19th tee is found near the 18th basket which shoots back to the practice basket. Use caution on this hole as it crosses hole 1's fairway and throws can easily nail somebody on the first tee pad.

I can't say enough positive things about this great community course and its players. Easily the most popular mountain course I have ever played and VERY re-playable (if you have the energy!) Laid back vibe, a ton of variety, and a challenge for all. Beginners will keep themselves out of trouble with their lack of power and experienced players can send themselves into some terrible rough. A great DG experience for all.
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6 0
jdmbigsky
Experience: 29.1 years 45 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

updated review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 13, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lots of ace runs, with punishment for bad shots. Tightly wooded on a few of the back 9, Signs with nice maps and sponsors for every hole, Chainstar baskets, multiple pin placements with color coded placements (whatever the color of the flag on top of the basket is the pin location on the map), basket locations changed often, lots of elevation change, friendly locals.

Cons:

Pretty short if you like the long bomb, but some longer teeboxes have been built on 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, and 18. Hillsides can roll your disc a long way from the hole sometimes hundreds of feet, but that's the challenge.

Other Thoughts:

This is a completely community oriented course, with sponsors for every hole, and played by quite a few people. I hope you enjoy it. Please do your part to the sponsors and the community by picking up yours and others trash, and not vandalizing anything. If you feel
the need to write your ace somewhere, do it small, on the back of the sign, or in the case of 7, the side of the pole next to the sign, or on 15, on the post to the left of the teebox, and if somebody hits 18, come see me, and we will figure something out, haha.
Discs can be purchased locally at Grizzly Outfitters and Gallatin Alpine Sports in the Town Center one mile away, and discs are also available for rent and sale at Lone Peak Brewery, a block or so from the course. Thank you, and most of all, have fun!!!
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12 0
DiSCRoCKeR
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.9 years 204 played 43 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Flying Through the Foothills (Redux) 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 1, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A really fun disc golf course in Big Sky Community Park. Plays up and down the foothills of the mountain. Fairly short course that will give you a workout and will also test you on a variety of different shots. Very good signage for each hole that also show the multiple pin placements. There are currently 3 pin placements per hole that change weekly, with talks of adding another placement or two for each hole! Quite an easy course to navigate too for being in wooded mountain terrain. New alternate tees on several of the holes help to add some length and new challenges to the course, but the alt tees don't have signs so ask a local if you're interested in playing them. Excellent scenery! The Chainstar baskets are in great condition and catch real well. Most of the holes are fairly short but technical. Plenty of ace opportunities and risk/reward shots. Good example is hole 17; it is the shortest hole on the course and could easily put you in trouble if you catch a bad roll or bounce and send you down a steep incline several hundred feet. Hole 16 is a short uphill shot that could send you downhill quite a way too if you miss your zone. Great course for beginners and seasoned players alike! Super friendly locals, too!

Cons:

Not too many bad things to say about Bighorn Ridge. The biggest gripe I have is with the tees, a little too short and they don't offer much for a run-up. Granted you really don't need much of a run up on most of the holes, but a few of the longer holes would benefit from some longer tee boxes. Most of the wood chips were gone too which obviously shows this course gets plenty of use. Gotta watch out for some of the rock placements around the tees as they can trip you up if you aren't concious of your surroundings.

Other Thoughts:

Quite a fun course and a good addition for the Big Sky community. I definitely recommend this course to anyone living or visiting in the Big Sky area!
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